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Conley
11-12-2011, 10:27 AM
CAIRO — The Arab League voted Saturday to suspend Syria and warned that the country could face sanctions if it did not end its crackdown against anti-government protesters.

The decision was a symbolic blow to a nation that prides itself on being a powerhouse of Arab nationalism.

Sheik Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, the Qatari foreign minister, said 18 countries agreed to the suspension, which would take effect on Wednesday. Syria, Lebanon and Yemen voted against it, and Iraq abstained. The Arab League will also introduce political and economic sanctions against Syria, he said.

The decision comes as November is shaping up to be the bloodiest month yet in Syria’s 8-month-old uprising. More than 250 Syrian civilians have been killed in the past 11 days as the regime besieges the rebellious city of Homs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/world/middleeast/arab-league-votes-to-suspend-syria-over-its-crackdown-on-protesters.html?hp

The Arab World in such disarray right now. Syria's isolation, as remarkable as it is, has to be encouraging to Israel. It's another 'pro' in the list of pros and cons when considering the attack on Iran.

Mister D
11-12-2011, 10:51 AM
Good point regarding Israel. I didn't realize Syria was being ostracized by the other regimes.

Homs. I last heard that name in a book about the Crusades. It's a shame. I'd love to visit Jordan and Syria. Not gonna happen...

Conley
11-12-2011, 10:58 AM
Good point regarding Israel. I didn't realize Syria was being ostracized by the other regimes.

Homs. I last heard that name in a book about the Crusades. It's a shame. I'd love to visit Jordan and Syria. Not gonna happen...


I didn't realize that about Syria either -- I figured the other member states would just turn a blind eye. I also thought the violence had gotten better in Syria, not worse. Everything is in upheaval in the entire Arab world it seems.

MMC
11-12-2011, 11:11 AM
Well now the Sunni have spoken and the UN can come down on Syria. but I don't think it will stop Assad. Far as he is concerned let the EU boycott somemore of his OIL.

Course now that the Arab League has done so. Hezbollah has spoken out.....

http://news.yahoo.com/hezbollah-leader-blasts-us-over-iran-syria-hariri-170228013.html

"Whoever dares to launch war against Iran will be met with doubly that force," he warned. "Iran is strong; Iran is powerful and has a leader unique to the whole world."

He added that any military action against Iran or Syria would engulf the entire region.

He also accused the United States of using double standards when it comes to the UN-backed court probing the 2005 assassination of Lebanon's ex-premier, Rafiq Hariri.

Nasrallah said he saw no reason why Lebanon should be expected to contribute its share of the tribunal's funding given Washington's decision to cut off funds to the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO after members voted to admit Palestine as a full member.....snip~

Conley
11-12-2011, 11:19 AM
Considering the growing unrest in Syria it wouldn't surprise me if they abandoned Iran once the military operations begin. Think about it, Iran has no chance of winning. If you're already drowning (Assad), why tie an anchor to your leg? It makes sense for Syria to stand with Iran for now, but it doesn't make sense to back them in a war.

I think Assad is more rational and logical -- well, rather I should say not as crazy as -- the Iranian leaders who may be ok with going down in a 'blaze of glory'.

Peter1469
11-12-2011, 11:57 AM
Mr. D. I imagine Jordan would be safe to travel to.

The Wife and I just got back from a week in Morocco.

Mister D
11-12-2011, 01:36 PM
Mr. D. I imagine Jordan would be safe to travel to.

The Wife and I just got back from a week in Morocco.


Ah, you think? I may look into this. Israel will probably be first but Jordan is right there.

Did you see the Roman ruins?

Peter1469
11-12-2011, 03:02 PM
http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/SpainPortugalMorocco/Morocco/Volubilis/slideshow.htm

Yes (not my pictures).. Volubills

It was the largest Roman city that we have seen outside of Italy in all of our travels. And we have seen many. It was amazing. And most of it is still underground.

Jordan is nice. And they have Petra: http://www.cynet.com/Jesus/prophecy/petra.htm

Mister D
11-12-2011, 03:04 PM
http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/SpainPortugalMorocco/Morocco/Volubilis/slideshow.htm

Yes (not my pictures).. Volubills

It was the largest Roman city that we have seen outside of Italy in all of our travels. And we have seen many. It was amazing. And most of it is still underground.

Jordan is nice. And they have Petra: http://www.cynet.com/Jesus/prophecy/petra.htm


Nice. They say they are the best preserved Roman ruins in the world.

Mister D
11-12-2011, 03:07 PM
These are great pics.

The Romans never controlled (or desired to) the interior. This is all close to the coast.

Peter1469
11-12-2011, 03:22 PM
It wasn't that close to the coast. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Volubilis

Mister D
11-12-2011, 04:12 PM
It wasn't that close to the coast. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Volubilis


The seat of Roman power in North Africa was along the coast. Not necessarily a 10 minute walk from the water! ;D The verdant areas of North Africa wee concentrated close to the coast. Aside from traders and military units the bulk of the Roman population was along the narrow strip of land on featured on the map.

http://www.biblestudy.org/maps/roman-empire.gif

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSD5sAwsm2iK0G7EGmqbDk665D2ypM3r 06aftGvq5dXYGZre6KAk9Ae4vN7OQ

Mister D
11-12-2011, 04:16 PM
Mauretania (Roman Morocco) is in Orange. The city you mentioned is on this map.

http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/38/3038-004-3BF0B679.gif

Conley
11-12-2011, 04:33 PM
Close by Roman standards was probably different from everyone else's...those guys covered some ground! :D

Mister D
11-12-2011, 05:21 PM
Close by Roman standards was probably different from everyone else's...those guys covered some ground! :D


;D


The pattern of settlement is probably similar today but I'm not sure. I'd suspect that the main cities and the majority of the population are still near the coast. As you go further inland the settlements probably thin out. From what I understand it gets increasingly arid the further south you go. No surprise there because the Sahara Desert isn't far away.

Peter1469
11-12-2011, 09:31 PM
Mauretania (Roman Morocco) is in Orange. The city you mentioned is on this map.

http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/38/3038-004-3BF0B679.gif


Yes Volubius- that is it. They have spring water nearby. It would take more than a day to walk to the Atlantic or the Med.

Mister D
11-12-2011, 09:39 PM
Mauretania (Roman Morocco) is in Orange. The city you mentioned is on this map.

http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/38/3038-004-3BF0B679.gif


Yes Volubius- that is it. They have spring water nearby. It would take more than a day to walk to the Atlantic or the Med.


Nice accommodations? Is it 'touristy'?

Peter1469
11-13-2011, 12:20 AM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.

MMC
11-13-2011, 07:50 AM
http://news.yahoo.com/syrians-protest-arab-vote-embassies-stormed-083144801.html
AP – 25 mins ago.....

BEIRUT (AP) — Tens of thousands of pro-regime demonstrators gathered in a Damascus square Sunday to protest the Arab League's vote to suspend Syria over its bloody crackdown on the country's eight-month-old uprising.

The protests came after a night of demonstrator assaults on the diplomatic offices of countries critical of the Syrian regime, including break-ins at the Saudi and Qatari embassies and attacks at Turkish representations across the country.

On Sunday, hundreds of baton-wielding Syrian riot police in helmets ringed the U.S., Qatari, Saudi and Turkish embassies — all located in the capital's upscale Abu Rummaneh district. Three fire engines were parked in front of the Turkish embassy. The Turkish and Qatari embassies were closed for the day but the Saudi embassy was operating, an operator said.

Meanwhile, thousands of people carrying red, black and white Syrian flags and posters of Assad gathered in a Damascus square, pledging support for Assad. The Syrian leader blames the violence on extremists working on a foreign agenda seeking to destabilize Syria.

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/tMvL7m_jt9EAY6Ul5PeHkg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MjcyNTtjcj0xO2N3PTQwODg7ZHg9MD tkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTEyNztxPTg1O3c9MTkw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/c10c600484715b19fe0e6a706700667e.jpg

Arab League diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters, said that if Syria does not adhere to its demands, the organization will work to unify the disparate Syrian opposition into a coalition similar to that of Libya's National Transitional Council. A next step would be to recognize the opposition as the sole representative of the Syrian people in a move that would symbolically isolate Assad's regime even further.....snip~

Ooooopps there it is.....The Sunni have spoken. They now tell Assad they will do to him what they did to Gadhafi. Assad already knows they were in league with the French and us. Shit just got deeper! Just a matter of time now. http://politirant.com/Smileys/oldrant/clock.gif Each tick of the clock is starting to take this closer and closer to Confrontation. http://politirant.com/Smileys/oldrant/yepp.gif

Peter1469
11-13-2011, 09:33 AM
Interesting times....

Mister D
11-13-2011, 04:19 PM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.


I can imagine. Take care of him and I bet he'd hang around all day, right?

Conley
11-13-2011, 04:22 PM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.


I can imagine. Take care of him and I bet he'd hang around all day, right?


This is also true of the monkeys on Gibraltar. Just saying. ;D

edit: actually those monkeys are dicks.

Mister D
11-13-2011, 04:28 PM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.


I can imagine. Take care of him and I bet he'd hang around all day, right?


This is also true of the monkeys on Gibraltar. Just saying. ;D

edit: actually those monkeys are dicks.


Damn macaques. ;D

Conley
11-13-2011, 04:30 PM
:D

Yeah those bastards...

"The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar is the only one in the whole of the European continent, and, unlike that of North Africa, it is thriving."

Ya don't say!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Gibraltar_Barbary_Macaque.jpg/290px-Gibraltar_Barbary_Macaque.jpg

Mister D
11-13-2011, 04:36 PM
:D

Yeah those bastards...

"The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar is the only one in the whole of the European continent, and, unlike that of North Africa, it is thriving."

Ya don't say!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Gibraltar_Barbary_Macaque.jpg/290px-Gibraltar_Barbary_Macaque.jpg


I would just like to point out that this situation is ripe for a racial joke but Mister D has refrained. :angel11:

Conley
11-13-2011, 04:44 PM
:D

Yeah those bastards...

"The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar is the only one in the whole of the European continent, and, unlike that of North Africa, it is thriving."

Ya don't say!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Gibraltar_Barbary_Macaque.jpg/290px-Gibraltar_Barbary_Macaque.jpg


I would just like to point out that this situation is ripe for a racial joke but Mister D has refrained. :angel11:


That's a pretty white looking monkey though. Just saying. Pardon me, not monkey, Barbary Macaque.

Conley
11-13-2011, 04:45 PM
What if one day we all met up and it turned out that every last one of was a black guy. Even Vermouth. Wouldn't that be a hoot? O0

Mister D
11-13-2011, 04:52 PM
What if one day we all met up and it turned out that every last one of was a black guy. Even Vermouth. Wouldn't that be a hoot? O0


What if I turned out to be a black guy? Heads would explode! :D

Conley
11-13-2011, 05:00 PM
:D My money is still on chicano...actually I will go with black Mexican, with a few indigenous ancestors in your family tree.

Mister D
11-13-2011, 05:03 PM
:D My money is still on chicano...actually I will go with black Mexican, with a few indigenous ancestors in your family tree.


Perhaps even a gay black Mexican? Is it at least possible? :o

Conley
11-13-2011, 05:27 PM
:D My money is still on chicano...actually I will go with black Mexican, with a few indigenous ancestors in your family tree.


Perhaps even a gay black Mexican? Is it at least possible? :o


Gay too? No, I think that's too much, straining credibility. :D

Peter1469
11-13-2011, 05:29 PM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.


I can imagine. Take care of him and I bet he'd hang around all day, right?


If you pay for the day the driver stays for the day.

Mister D
11-13-2011, 05:32 PM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.


I can imagine. Take care of him and I bet he'd hang around all day, right?


If you pay for the day the driver stays for the day.


Ah, I see. So it was a formal business? A former roommate of mine before I bought my house went to Jamaica for a couple weeks. Drivers would show you around but there was some wheeling and dealing involved. It's kind of colored my perceptions of guides in undeveloped countries.

Peter1469
11-13-2011, 05:33 PM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.


I can imagine. Take care of him and I bet he'd hang around all day, right?


This is also true of the monkeys on Gibraltar. Just saying. ;D

edit: actually those monkeys are dicks.


Damn macaques. ;D


Yes we stopped at Gibraltar - had too we rented a house in Spain about 45 km north. But it really was a waste. A tourist trap and not even that interesting. If you could get a hotel room on the sea side away from the town and just hike around the mountain that would be cool. Those monkeys were crazy. One started looking at me sideways and following me around. He made me nervous. I was carrying a backpack with a ball cap hanging off a D ring- I think that is what got his attention.

Peter1469
11-13-2011, 05:35 PM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.


I can imagine. Take care of him and I bet he'd hang around all day, right?


If you pay for the day the driver stays for the day.


Ah, I see. So it was a formal business? A former roommate of mine before I bought my house went to Jamaica for a couple weeks. Drivers would show you around but there was some wheeling and dealing involved. It's kind of colored my perceptions of guides in undeveloped countries.


We went through a company called Journey Beyond Travel to make our arraignments in Morocco. They covered travel, lodging, tour guides, a driver, etc.

Mister D
11-13-2011, 05:53 PM
Morocco is very tourist friendly. I recommend stating in Riads- that is their version of B&Bs. We had a driver and that was key in the cities.


I can imagine. Take care of him and I bet he'd hang around all day, right?


If you pay for the day the driver stays for the day.


Ah, I see. So it was a formal business? A former roommate of mine before I bought my house went to Jamaica for a couple weeks. Drivers would show you around but there was some wheeling and dealing involved. It's kind of colored my perceptions of guides in undeveloped countries.


We went through a company called Journey Beyond Travel to make our arraignments in Morocco. They covered travel, lodging, tour guides, a driver, etc.


Sounds like the way to do it. I see packages like that in Archaeology magazines. You've inspired me!

Peter1469
11-13-2011, 07:07 PM
Morocco is much easier to travel in than it used to be. You can drive yourself between the cities, but if you stay in the old town section, you need a guide. And that is what the Wife and I like. We aren't into staying in big hotels in the "new" town.

Conley
11-13-2011, 07:11 PM
There's definitely something to be said for travelling outside one's comfort area. That area of course depends on the person but a little suspense can make things fun. 8)